Beintorced-cohcrete bridge construction



W. M. THOMAS.

REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION HLEn OCT. 20. I913.RENEWED AUG. 5. 1918.

1,303,741 a Patented May13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- W. M. THOMAS.

REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSIRUGTION APPLICATION man 001.20, 1912.RENEWED AUG. 5. 191a.

Patented May13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m: ,vmems PETERS m. PMam-Lrndm. WASNYNGYON lv UNITE REINFORCED-CONCRETEBRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed October 20, 1913, Serial No. 796,180. Renewed August5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WHLIAM M. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Reinforced-Concrete BridgeConstruction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reinforced concrete bridges and particularlyto the construction of the bridge floor and the supporting meanstherefor.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for bracing andreinforcing the floor.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for formingthe spandrel members whereby the floor is supported from the main archribs of the bridge.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, andreferring thereto:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bridge embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line w -:v' in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2*, is a plan of a tightening joint for the reinforcing means.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the hook members for supporting thehorizontal struts of the spandrel members.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the upper portion of a spandrel post.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper horizontal member or girderfor connecting the upper ends of the spandrel post.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the bridge. I I Fig. 7 is a inFig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of a portion of the bridge floor. I

Fig. 9 is ahoriz'ontal section on line w m in Fig. 7, with intermediateportions of the bridge floor broken away. I

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the bridge floor, showing the floorarchesor panels and reinforcements in position before the grouting forbonding the same has been poured into position.

Figs. 11 and 12 show modifications of the means for attachin the crossstruts to the arch ribs and span rel posts.-

transverse section on line un -93" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Serial 110. 248,460.

Figs. 11 and 12 are perspectives of tie rods shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 13 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2, the cross strut beingomitted.

The bridge comprises main arch ribs 1 and having outstanding skew backsat their up per ends, spandrel posts 2 supported thereby, girders 3supported by said spandrel posts, and a bridge floor supported by saidgirders. The main arch ribs 1 are preformed and reinforced in anysuitable manner and the spandrel posts 2 are also preformed andtemporarily mounted upon the'arch ribs and then secured thereto by amolded joint. For each spandrel member formed by the spandrel posts andgirder connected to the same, there is also preferably provided a lowerhorizontal member or strut 5 extending between the main arch ribs andsecured thereto and to the spandrel posts. Said strut 5 is preformed ofreinforced concrete and is provided with inetallichooks 7 projectingtherefrom at each end, said hooks being embedded at one end in the strut5 and extending upwardly at their outer ends and adapted to engage inloops or eyes 8 molded. into the main arch rib 1, so that the strut 5may be placed in position withits hook 7 engaging in the eye 8 and willbe supported-thereby during the construction. Said strut 5 is furtherprovided with longitudinally'extending reinforcing rods 10 adapted to becon nected to anchor rods 11 projecting from the -main arch ribs 1. Anysuitable means may be used for securing these rods together, forexample, as shown 1n Fig. 2*, said rodsmay extend in opposite directionsthrough an anchor plate 12, nuts 13 being screwed on said rods onopposite sides of said plate, so that by tightening said nuts, the plate12 is caused to exert tension on all of said rods, so as to give a tighthorizontal connection between the main arch ribs and. the strut 5. Thestrut 5 is also provided with reinforcing rods 15 extending obliquelyupward and connected by a plate 12', and nuts 13' to reinforcing rods 17extending obliquely downward fromthe spandrel posts-2, the constructionfor the parts 12; and 13' being the same as above described for parts12and 13-, see :Fig. 2*. Each spandrel post 2 is provided at its lowerend with a recess 18 at each side, the reinforcing rod 17 aforesaid,extendin down through said recess and vertical rein orcing rods 20extending down through the outer recess 18 and being connected by platesl2" and nuts 13 similar to plate 12 and nuts 13 above described, toreinforcing rods 21 projecting upward from the main arch rib.

When the main arch ribs 1, strut 5, and spandrel posts 2 have beenconnected by the reinforcing members 10, 11, 15, 17, 20, and 21, asabove described, and thereby rigidly secured in position, mold boardsare placed in position so as to inclose the recesses 18 and the space 24between the strut 5 and the adjacent faces of the main arch rib andspandrel post, and the cement or grouting is run or filled into suchrecesses 18 and space 24 to form concrete cement bonds 22 and 23 betweenthe preformed members 1, 2, and 5, uniting the same into a unitarymonolithic structure.

The spandrel posts 2 are provided at their upper ends with rabbetsforming vertical faces 26 and horizontal bearing faces or shoulders 27and the girders 3 are provided at their ends with hearing faces 23adapted to rest on said shoulders. Metal rods 28 extending obliquelyupward from said shoulders are adapted to extend into recesses orsockets 29 in said girders when the latter are in position and the saidgirders arepro'vided with downwardly extending metal rods or pins 29adapted to engage in recesses 30 in i the spandrel postsextendingobliquely downward from said shoulders 27 The ends 'of thegirders 3 are provided with recesses 32 in their upper faces throughwhich extend horizontal reinforcing rods 33. Horizontal rods 34 extendfrom the upper part of each spandrel post and are connected to saidhorizontal rods 33 of the girders by plates 12 and nuts l3 similar toplate 12 and nuts 13 above described. The girders are so proportion'edthat when in position on the shoulders 27 a space '36 will be leftbetween the end of each girder and the vertical face 26 of the spandrelpost and suitable mold boards being put in position, these spaces 36 andthe recesses 29 aforesaid are filled with grouting or cement, so as tobond the girders onto the spandrel posts to form a unitary monolithicstructure therewith. v

The bridge floor is composed of a plurality of preformed floor blocks'or members 40 resting on the girders '3 and concrete "or cement uniting'sai'd floor members to one another and tofthe girders. Each of thesemembers 40 is formed as a cantaliver, and they are placed on the girdersin such position as to form arches and to leave spaces or channels 42between their upper ends, ex tending longitudinally of the bridge, and

said members 40 are spaced apart longitudr nally so as to form channels'43 extending transversely of the bridge. Longitudinal reinforcing bars44'extend in said longitudinal channels 42 and transverse reinforcingbars'45 extend in said transverse channels 43..

Reinforcing members 46 embedded in the girders 3 extend upwardly intothe longitudinal channels 42 and are bent around the reinforcing rods44. When the parts are in position, as above described, cement orgrouting is run into the longitudinal and transverse channels 42 and 43aforesaid, and fills the said channels as well as the spaces 43 betweenthe members 40 directly over the girders, the cement being continued orbuilt up on top of the members 40 to! any desired height to form thefloor. It will be understood that in the spaces between the girders thebottoms of the longitudinal channels 42 are closed by mold boards sothat the cement at these parts only fills said channels so as to formwith the members 40 complete arches supported on the girders.

Each of the floor members 40 is provided with reinforcing rods 50 in itslower or central portion extei'i'ding longitudinally of the bridge,these rods projecting into-and being embedded in the concrete pouredinto the transverse channels 43. The outside fi'oor member 40 at eachside of the bridge is also provided with reinforcing rods 50 at itslower portion, extending longitudinally of the bridge, and embedded inthe cement between the panels. At the outer side of each of theseoutside panels are provided Tipper reinforcing rods 51 and lowerreinforcing rods 52, extending longitudinally of the bridge, and tied tothe floor body by lower tie rods 53, and stirrup means 54. Tie rods 53are connected by plates 55 and nuts 56, similar to the plates 12 andnuts 13 above described, to rods 57, which are embedded in floor membeis40. Stirrup means 54 are embedded in the floor member or blocks 40 andare preferably formed by bending a rod in 21g zag shape, said rod beinglooped at its outer ends over the longitudinal rods 51 and 52 and thebends or loops of the rod being lower rods, 51 and 52, as shown, or itniav be bent over only one of the rods so as to lie in one plane. Thefloor members 40 adjacent these outside members 40 are provided withmetallic anchor rods 62 embedded therein and projecting therefrom andturned down as shown at '63 to extend through the loops or bights 58 ofthe reinforcing rods or stirrups 54. These metallic comiections 58, 63are embedded in the cement filling the longitudinal passages 42. Outsidefacings 59 of concrete cover and embed the longitudinal rods '51 and 52.

As shown in Fig. 11, the main arch rib 1' may be provided with metal tierods 65, looped around vertical reinforcing 21 in the main arch rib andembedded in said rib, said rods extending obliquely downward from themain arch ribs and into recess 67 in struts 5 and being bent laterallyat their lower ends, as shown at 65', so that when the cementitious bond68 is molded in position it embeds the bent portion 65 and connects thesame to the strut.

The strut may be provided with tie rods 70 as shown in Fig. 12,extending obliquely upward and over the arch rib, and bent around thevertical reinforcing rods 21 above the arch ribs, these tie rods beingembedded in the cement bond 22, filling the outside recess 18 of thespandrel post.

In some cases the transverse struts for the spandrel members may beomitted. Thus as shown in Fig. 13, arch ribs, spandrel posts, andgirders may be constructed and connected as above described without theuse of a transverse strut.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, main arch ribs provided with upwardly extending andtransversely extending reinforcing rods, spandrel posts having theirlower ends resting on the main arch ribs and recessed at their inner andouter faces adjacent the upper faces of the main arch ribs, reinforcingrods in the posts connected in the outer recesses to the upwardlyextending rods of the main arch ribs, other reinforcing rods in theposts extending obliquely downwardly and inwardly from the innerrecesses, a strut extending transversely between the main arch ribs andhaving its ends spaced apart from, the side faces of said ribs,reinforcing rods in the strut projecting from the ends thereof andconnected in the spaces to the transversely extending rods of the posts,other reinforcing rods in the strut projecting obliquelyupward andoutward from the ends thereof and connected in the spaces to the downwardly and inwardly projecting ends of the rods of the posts, and cementbonds filling in the recesses and filling in the spaces between the ribsand ends of the strut.

2. In combination, main arch ribs provided with upwardly extending andtransversely extending reinforcing rods, the transversely extending rodshaving loops,

spandrel posts having their lower ends resting on the main arch ribs andrecessed at their inner and outer faces adjacent the upper faces of themain arch ribs, reinforcing rods in the posts connected in the outerrecesses to the upwardly extending rods of the main arch ribs, otherreinforcing rods in the posts extending obliquely downwardly andinwardly from the inner recesses, a strut extending transversely betweenthe main arch ribs and having its ends spaced apart from the side facesof said ribs, reinforcing rods in the strut projecting from the endsthereof and connected in the spaces by hooks to the loops of thetransversely extending rods of the posts, other reinforcing rods in thestrut projecting obliquely upward and outward from the ends thereof andconnected in the spaces to the downwardly and inwardly projecting endsof the rods of the posts, and cement bonds filling in the recesses andfilling in the spaces between the ribs and ends of the strut.

3. In combination, spandrel posts having shoulders and havingoutstanding skewbacks at their upper ends, there being recesses in theshoulders, a girder extending transversely between the skewbacks andresting on the shoulders and having its ends spaced apart from the innerfaces of the skewbacks, the ends of the girder being provided withrecesses in its upper and lower faces, reinforcing rods extending upwardfrom the shoulders into the lower recesses, reinforcing rods extendingtransversely from the inner faces of the skewbacks, reinforcing rods inthe girder extending through the upper recesses thereof and connected insaid recesses to the transversely extending rods of the skewbacks, otherreinforcing rods in the girder projecting obliquely downward and outwardand seated in the recesses of the shoulders, and cement bonds filling inthe recesses and filling in the spaces between the skewbacks and ends ofthe girder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 9th day of'October, 1913.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS.

In presence of ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, LORRAINE E. Dmmow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

